Wednesday 16 August 2006 03.21 EDT
First published on Wednesday 16 August 2006 03.21 EDT

It has been credited with extending Britain's reputation as a nation of shopkeepers into the digital age. But internet giant eBay yesterday fell foul of hundreds of users who staged a one-day strike in protest at new policies brought in by the company.

Some British online sellers are angered at price increases and on-site tweaks which make their auctions less visible. The group of more than 400 shopkeepers have called for rival internet companies to come up with a viable alternative.

"We are eBay store owners who have been 'dismissed' by eBay through extreme rate hikes," claimed the group. "We are searching everywhere for a new home and Google is the only name on the internet which we feel would be totally trustworthy."

The group says that changes which began two weeks ago have reduced the visibility of their shops in the site's search engine. And a hike in commission prices planned for next week has raised the hackles of hundreds who rely on the site for income. "I had a store for almost three years on eBay and I closed it today: I can't afford to sell my little one-of-a-kind items there under the new fee structure," said a user. "eBay is chasing away those very people who made the magic."

Earlier this summer eBay announced the launch of its Express site, an attempt to create a separate space for virtual shops that sell goods at a fixed value. Disgruntled shopkeepers say the new policies are aimed at forcing them over to the new system, potentially hiding them from millions of customers. But eBay, which is worth an estimated £18bn, has rejected claims that it is attacking sellers.